Christmas Puddings - Martin Bosley Cooks

Have yourself a merry little Christmas 

Let your heart be bright

Next year all our troubles will be out of sight.

                                                   Hugh Martin

 I am starting to get excited about Christmas. It is my favourite time of year, with many of my favourite songs, favourite foods and favourite activities in my favourite season (summer), with some of my favourite people.  I hope to be allowed to go home to my family - fingers crossed.

I made my Christmas cake months ago, but decided to turn my hand to Christmas puddings next.

I have owned Martin Bosley Cooks for years, and have always meant to make his Christmas pudding recipe but never quite gotten around to it.  Well, now I have!  Martin’s recipe makes 4 x 12cm puddings - I halved it to make 8 x 4cm puddings.

Instead of using muslin to cover the puddings while steaming in the oven, I made pleated baking paper covers:

I have no idea what they’ll taste like, but hopefully good!

To make a half recipe my way, you will need:

1/2 cup raisins

75g sultanas

75g currants

50g blanched almonds, chopped

90g vegetarian suet

juice and zest of half an orange

juice and zest of half a lemon

1/2 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and grated

1/2 carrot, peeled and grated

60g flour (I used a gluten free flour mix)

1 1/2 eggs

pinch of salt

pinch of ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon mixed spice 

60ml brandy

75ml stout

Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for 48 hours. (I skipped this due to time constraints.)

Preheat your oven to 150 degrees Celsius, and grease 8x 4cm pudding moulds.  Divide the pudding mixture evenly between the moulds. Press the mixture down firmly. Place circles of baking paper that have been lightly greased  over the top of the mixture. 

Cover the top of each mould with a circle of damp muslin tied with string (or do as I did - use baking paper with a steam “pleat” instead).

Line a large roasting dish with baking paper and put the puddings on top. Put the dish in the preheated oven, and pour in enough water into the dish to come halfway up the side of the pudding moulds.

Cover the dish with foil, and cut a small hoke in the centre of the foil to release the steam.  Bake in the oven for 4 hours.

Remove the puddings from the oven and allow them to cool completely before unmoulding them and wrapping in baking paper then foil.

On Christmas Day, reheat the puddings and serve with custard and cream or brandy butter.